In the 1870s, an American woman could not vote. She could not own property in her own name after marriage. But she could play ball -- as well as it could be played in an outfit that weighed as much as 30 pounds and included a floor-length skirt, underskirts, a long-sleeved, high-necked blouse, and high button shoes.

Bloomer Girls, like the one right, would travel around and challenge local men's teams. They played from the 1890s until 1934 - the rise of the minor league system taking away their market.